


Of Scales and Weddings

by FayeWildwood



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Basically magic instead of metas, Cisco's family are assholes, Harry is a Good Dad, M/M, guess i'll update as i go, no idea how to tag this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-03-28 16:15:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13907691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FayeWildwood/pseuds/FayeWildwood
Summary: Lord Francisco Ramon is the youngest in his noble family, meaning he'd never expected to marry for love or rank, he expected to be married off to whoever would be beneficial for his family while his eldest brother Dante married for whatever he damned well pleased. However when a widowed king from the northern kingdoms announces he's looking for a new king or queen, the entire land went up in excitement. Like all the other noble houses, Cisco's lady mother sent in a proposal, not necessarily believing it would be accepted. And yet it was.So now here Cisco is, being married off to a king he'd never even seen, forced to move into a foreign land where dragons are more common than horses, with no one but his best friend by his side... Fantastic...ORThe royal au that no one really asked for.





	1. The Arrangement

**Author's Note:**

> Got this idea at work the other day and just had to write it down. Hope everyone likes it!

"Mama, please, you cannot be serious."

"Francisco," the older woman chastized, her accent heavy on her tongue as she clucked it at him. "You have known since you were a child that you will be married off to another noble family as your brother holds claim to our household. This should be of no shock to you. I would have thought you would be pleased. It is even a man, as you requested."

Cisco sighed and ran a hand through his hair only to remember it was tied up as it usually was around the lady mother. "His gender is not the problem, mama. I just... we don't know this man, and I have heard rumors of the Wells kingdom. They are backed by the mountains where the dragons dwell. They're said to be cruel and isolated, mama."

And it was really that which frightened him. His mother was right, he'd known his entire life that he'd be married off to someone of her choosing- man or woman. In his position, he had no chance of marrying for love even if he _had_ anyone he did love. But the Wells kingdom, while very prosperous and advanced, were known for their isolation and their discontent with outsiders. The King was said to rarely leave his castle walls and Cisco had even heard that dragons roamed the lands freely up there. Down south where his family held claim, the largest dragon he saw was the size of his palm and kept far away from civilization. Cisco had never even seen one in his lifetime. Not to mention the fact that the Well's kingdom was one of the most powerful in the Gem continent. Cisco's family was well off, but he was hardly a prince. What would King Wells stand to gain from marrying someone as low as Cisco?

The woman held up a wrinkled hand and her frown turned a bit disappointed. "I have met with the kings adviser and he assures me you will be safe under his Majesty's protection. Please, Francisco, this is a wonderful opportunity for us. None of the southern kingdoms have managed such an arrangement with the northern lands before and they have many resources that would make us extremely wealthy and our people very well fed." Her hands folded in her lap, her eyes hard as she stared at her son. The slew of advisers and guards around him seemed equally excited about the marriage, even Dante, his eldest brother seemed happy about the possible prospects. "This is not up for discussion, mijo. The king has requested you leave immediately. He's offered to give you a month's time to arrive and get settled before the ceremony, however since your brother will be planning his own wedding during that time, we will not be in attendance."

He would think by now that the disappointment of being the second child- being less important to the family- would be something he was used to. He'd lived in Dante's shadow all his life, so it shouldn't have been a surprise that his marriage was more important. Though Cisco was marrying a _king_ , whereas Dante was engaged to the niece of the Starling's king. His brother must have been lucky to have been engaged already and it was incredibly rude to turn back on the agreement now.

"I expect you to put a good image on our family, Francisco," his mother continued, her eyes narrowed in warning. "The north has very little tolerance for the magick you play with and I expect you to arrive at the Well's kingdom within the fortnight. There will be no running away. I'll be sending a guard with you to be sure."

And that was another thing. The Wells Kingdom was littered with dragons, known for their technological advances and science- which Cisco was absolutely fascinated in don't get him wrong- but they were not as loving for the mystical arts. Which was something that Cisco prided himself in being very good at. It was something that sat at the very core of him, charged him, drove him. Not being able to use it? Might be worse than the marriage or man himself. "I'll go, mama, but I do ask you grant me one thing to bring with me on my journey."

Expecting as much, the lady mother nodded. "Of course darling, anything you like."

"Let me bring the Lady Caitlin with me," he asked politely. Caitlin had been Cisco's absolute best friend since they were children. Her parents had perished in the last revolution before the Queen family took the throne and the Ramon's were very close to them. They'd taken Caitlin in and raised her as their own in the hopes of one day marrying her and Cisco off together. Unfortunately, both saw each other more as best friends than lovers. "As you know, Lady Caitlin has a strong interest in the healing arts. She has learned all she can from our mages down here and I think it would benefit her greatly if she accompany me to the north. They are very well known for their new sciences and medicines."

The room was mostly silent as his mother thought the request through. She tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair and stared at Cisco as if trying to decide if there was some ulterior motive to his condition. There wasn't. He simply didn't think he'd be able to make this journey alone and Caitlin would indeed love to visit and learn from the northern healers. She'd mused about it plenty of times when Cisco was working on his own projects.

"I'll grant this request, mijo, on the condition that it is Lady Caitlin's wish to accompany you. I'll not hold her here if she wishes to leave with you." Cisco's lips spread into a wide smile, and a small glimmer of hope sliced through the dread and nerves still rolling around in his stomach. "I expect you both to be ready by tomorrow. You'll be leaving the day after and it is a long journey. Congratulations my son."

The smile on his mother's face was so bright that he couldn't help but reflect it, though it felt fake and made of stone. 

Knowing that he'd eventually been arranged a marriage was different than actually being told it'd been done. In a month's time he was to marry a man he'd never met, a man few people had ever met. And why?

Because his family needed the money? Sure, he had hoped for an advantageous marriage to better his family name, but what could King Wells possibly gain from marrying Cisco? Did he even know it was Cisco he was marrying? Or like Cisco, was it arranged for him and decided upon without his say so? Did some adviser point and pick a name off a random list? He'd heard news weeks ago that the king was once again looking for a husband or wife, as his own queen had died near five years ago. Surely he'd gotten plenty of proposals in that time... why Cisco?

The young lord found Caitlin in the libraries as usual, pacing back and forth along the isle of medical journals, a thick book in her hand as she muttered to herself. Cisco knew she'd read every single book in the isle at least five times over, knew that whatever she was reading was more to keep her mind working than it was to actually learn the information she already had cemented in her mind. If the pacing hadn't given away her nerves however, the thin layer of frost that followed her footfalls did. It melted away in the southern heat quickly, but it appeared she'd been pacing long enough that there was a solid layer remaining frozen under her. Yet she walked across it with a grace he'd never had.

See Caitlin's magicks were unique considering her southern roots. Frost magicks were usually seen in the mountains or northern regions of the land and yet Caitlin wielded them with such ease, one would think her a born northerner.

"Cisco!"

The man jumped slightly, not having realized he'd been staring at the frost in thought, and raised his eyes to see Caitlin's worried eyes. "How did it go? She called you so suddenly- I was worried... I don't know what I thought was going to happen," she muttered, dropping her book on a nearby empty shelf and stalking towards him. She wrung her hands in front of her as she usually did when nervous and bit her lip. "Was she angry about the fire yesterday? I told you not to try that spell, and I put it out quickly. I was hoping no one would notice."

"It wasn't the fire," Cisco reassured her. Caitlin was a strong woman, took very little crap from anyone, but when it came to his mother, she was a nervous wreck. Cisco thought it had mostly to do with the fact that Caitlin was afraid she'd be cast out of the family who had so graciously taken her in- though the lady mother would never do such a thing. Outside of the nobility however, Caitlin was ruthless and sharp witted. She let no one stand in her way of what she wanted and she radiated intelligence with such a grace that Cisco sometimes wondered what it would have been like if he _did_ love her romantically. "I've been engaged to be married."

Caitlin blinked for a moment, frowning at the sudden words. "Engaged? To be married?" It took a few moments for the words to settle in before her confused frown spread into a wide grin. "Cisco that's wonderful! Oh congratulations! But- you don't seem very excited. What is it, is it a woman? Is she absolutely terrible?"

"It's not a woman, it's-" Cisco paused, swallowing around the lump in his throat. Something in his stomach rolled with the need to say the words out loud. Something about having to say it outloud made it seem all the more real and he wasn't quite sure how he felt about it all just yet. "It's King Harrison Wells, of the northern kingdom."

"A king," Caitlin breathed, that wide eyed wonder on her face that she usually got when he gifted her a new medical book or tool. "You're to be married to a king? And you're _upset_?"

"Not just any king, Caity! It's the Wells kingdom! You've heard of them as much as I have. Barely any outsiders have even _met_  their king and they're rude and crass and isolated..." Cisco tore his hands through his hair again, ripping the tie out from it and letting his black waves flutter around his face. "They have dragons, Caity! Dragons, just roaming around like common animals! You've seen the pictures in the books, the journals. They're as big as houses, bigger even! I-I can barely ride a horse without making it pissed at me some how. How am I supposed to live in a country covered in man eating beasts, married to a man known for being cold and ruthless?"

Caitlin's smile turned gentle as she took Cisco's hands in hers, pulling them away from his hair. "Cisco, the Wells family is extremely advanced and loved by it's people. You wouldn't believe how loyal the locals are. My parents traded with some a few times when I was younger and they swore by their king. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Though I'm afraid I'll miss you terribly when you leave. You'll have to be sure to visit me sometimes or I'll be very cross with you."

"Visit? Woman please," Cisco scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I've already asked permission from my mother to bring you with me perminantly if you want to go. She said yes so if you-"

Cisco sputtered, stumbling back a few steps when Caitlin threw her arms around him and squealed. "Oh Cisco! Yes, yes, yes! The medical journals I've gotten from the north are amazing and to actually be up there! Oh my goodness, the things I could learn from them!"

Chuckling, the young lord patted his friend on the back and nodded. "That was my reasoning when I asked mother. So get packed because we leave in two days time... and I'm really going to need you by my side for this because to be honest, Caity..." he took a deep breath and squeezed his friend a bit tighter in his arms. "I'm terrified."


	2. Meeting the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cisco and Caitlin arrive in the Wells Kingdom and Cisco meets some of his new family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter than the last, but I really wanted to get to Cisco and Harry meeting so look forward to that next chapter! I'm hoping to make the chapters a little longer, but this one was kind of a filler of them traveling and arriving.   
> Anyway, enjoy!  
> Thanks for all the lovely comments!  
> Quick notes:  
> Cisco is probably going to be around 23-25 age range. (Old for being unmarried, but fuck it.)  
> Caitlin is around the same age as Cisco.  
> Jesse is going to be 19.  
> Harrison is probably about 53 b/c I think that's how old his actor is.

"You're nervous," Caitlin said quietly when they stopped for a short break. They'd been travelling for days now, and were only a few hours away from their destination, and Cisco's stomach was churning with anxiety. A bird had already been sent to announce his arrival, and yet he found himself thinking through as many excuses as possible to delay the inevitable. 

"Of course I'm nervous," he replied in a whisper, letting his friend take his hand in hers and he clenched it tightly, letting it ground him. "I never really imagined marrying for love or anything... but I still- I don't know, I guess I hoped I'd at least like the person I was going to marry, or _know_  them even."

Caitlin hummed slightly, nodding a bit as she glanced toward the towering mountains before them. Cisco felt like they'd been staring at the same landscape for days and yet it didn't seem like they were getting any closer. "How do you know you won't like him? He did ask that you come early so as to get to know each other ahead of time. Perhaps he is just as frightened as you are about this marriage." At Cisco's disbelieving eyebrow, Caitlin chuckled. "Cisco, the man is a widow. He had loved someone for years and years before she passed. I would imagine it is incredibly hard for him to move on from that, probably very scary to put himself out there and marry someone else. So maybe, you aren't the only one terrified."

She was right, he knew that. Still, he couldn't imagine the 'dragon king' of the north was anything other than cruel. But the idea that King Harrison was just as scared as he was did ease some of the nerves in his chest a bit. Cisco sighed, leaning his head on Caitlin's shoulder and closing his eyes to just breathe for a moment. "When did you become so wise, Caity?"

She gave a very un-ladylike snort that jostled his head on her shoulder and he grunted in response. "I've always been the wise one, Cisco. Now come on, you've a king to meet."

The rest of the journey was an uneventful one really. He and Caitlin were refined to their carriage, yet both of them stared out the windows as they drew closer to the city.

It was much larger than Cisco had expected it to be- sprawling and beautiful up the side of the mountain. It was layered, the buildings seeming to be built from the stone itself and the streets winding and twisting up the length of the city. From what Cisco remembered from his lessons on the Wells Kingdom, the King's home was not necessarily a castle like most kingdoms, it was in fact the mountain itself. There sat no keep at the top of the city, but instead a massive opening, seen from the lowest street, and within were the carved tunnels of King Harrison's palace. Luckily for Cisco, since their arrival had been announced already, the gates of the city were opened without much issue, though the travel up to the king's palace was slow going. People of all shapes and colours flooded into the streets, the sounds of conversation almost deafening to his ears, all to see who the new king was to be. Or queen. Cisco was unsure how much had been told to the people.

"You should see this," Caitlin breathed, peeking out the curtains of the carriage to watch as they rode by. "It's beautiful Cisco. The buildings are all stone, and there are carvings on nearly every surface!"

Cisco wanted to see, he couldn't deny his curiosity. But the nerves that were making his hands shake made him pause. Those people out there, crying out for him, whispering for him... they were _his_ people now- or would be in under a month's time. What would they do if they saw him? Would they be disappointed? Would they hate him? Love him? Be disgusted with him?

Caitlin must have recognized the look in his eyes because she laid a calming hand over top his and smiled. "Cisco, don't be so frightened. These are your people now, and they are going to love you. How could they not?"

Because he was an outsider maybe? Because just the thought of marrying their king terrified him? Cisco could name a hundred valid reasons why these people would hate him. But he didn't.

Before he knew it, the sounds of the crowd were falling away and the carriage was rolling to a stop. Cisco's heart rate skyrocketed as he waited for the footmen to get ready, but before he could even think to take a breath, the door was being pulled open and Caitlin was being escorted out. She gave him a final reassuring nod before disappearing into the bright mountain sun.

"Okay, Cisco... you can do this. You can do this."

He totally couldn't do this, but before he could talk himself out of it, he practically stumbled out of the carriage and took position next to his best friend.

The opening to the Wells palace was enormous, carved right into the mountain in swirling and curving designs. The beautiful oak doors that kept it enclosed were beautiful, carved with images of stars and suns and mountains, and a huge star was engraved above the entire entrance. Cisco couldn't help but think that the entrance was big enough to fit a full sized dragon... wondered if that was the intention.

Standing at the top of a small set of stairs leading to the doors was what Cisco assumed was King Harrison's royal company: a beautiful brunette woman with a smile as bright as her silver tiarra, an impressively tall man with mussed brown hair dressed in a fine red cloak befitting a royal adviser, and two men in shimmering golden armor- a big golden star on the breast plate. They all waited patiently as the small traveling party gathered closer and Cisco's herald stepped forward, clearing his throat. Cisco couldn't help but wonder in the silence if King Harrison was waiting inside?

"May I present the Lord Francisco of the House Ramon and Lady Caitlin of the House Snow," the herald said, just loud enough for everyone in the courtyard area to hear.

The second the words were uttered, the adviser practically skipped down the stairs, pausing only to bow quickly. His smile was so wide and bright that it kind of shocked Cisco as he introduced himself. "Well met, my lord, my lady," he bowed again in Caitlin's direction. "We are so happy to see you've made it here safely! May I introduce myself, I am Bartholomew Allen, royal Adviser to the throne, but you can call me Barry." He shook Cisco's hand with a gusto that had the young lord holding back a laugh before waving behind him to the other three who were making their way down the steps. "And of course her Royal Highness, the Princess Jesse Wells. As well as our Captain of the Guard, Joe West and his second in command, Edward Thawne."

_Her royal highness, the princess..._  That's what Barry had said. _The princess..._  Not only was Cisco marrying a man he'd never met, in a land full of dragons, but his _daughter_ was practically as old as Cisco! Something like fear and dread churned in his stomach, mixing dangerously with his nerves and he couldn't get the image of some old seventy year old man with grey hair and wrinkles out of his head.

His silence must have been noticed because Caitlin cleared her throat and elbowed him in the ribs. "I apologize for my friend here," she said sweetly, sending Cisco a scolding glance. "It's been quite the long journey for the both of us. I think he was simply shocked and pardon if I make assumptions- we don't know much about your customs here- but I think we expected to meet the King upon arrival."

Thank the gods for Caitlin Snow, Cisco thought, nodding at the excuse of having zoned out.

What the two got in return however was a wince from Barry and a roll of the eyes from Princess Jesse. The young girl sighed and stepped forward to take Cisco's hand, threading it through her arm and forcing him to lead her towards the palace doors. Caitlin took up his other side quickly as they began walking. "You'll have to forgive my father. He gets forgetful in his old age and he's been moping lately. He's a child really."

"Jesse!" Barry scolded, jogging lightly to keep up and nodding to the set of guards posted outside the large oak doors, asking them to open it up. "He's not _moping_. Plus, don't talk like that, you'll scare the young Lord off."

"He should be scared," Jesse replied, patting Cisco's hand with her own as she led him through the sprawling castle halls. "One wrong move and my father will likely throw you out a tower window or something." He wasn't sure if it was the look on his face or maybe she could feel his heart literally stop in his chest, but Jesse burst into giggles and Barry groaned beside them. "I'm sorry, I really couldn't help it, you just looked so frightened. Please don't be," she said sweetly, turning them down another hall. "My father truly isn't that bad of a man, he's just grumpy and lonely. He has been ever since my mother passed. And I promise he won't throw you out a window... though he might throw something _at_  you," she mumbled more to herself.

There was some small talk for the rest of the journey through the halls- though Cisco couldn't honestly remember quite what it was they spoke about- and by the time they reached what was said to be Cisco's room (Caitlin's right beside it), he'd decided he absolutely loved Jesse. It was still a little weird that she was going to be his... step daughter? But she was absolutely adorable and kept up with his wit and joking as easily as Caitlin often did. Even Barry pitched into conversations with his own enthusiasm that had Cisco liking him as well. 

He concluded by the time that he settled into his room and was left to his own devices with the promise of being summoned for dinner in a few hours, that even if the King was absolutely horrible, well at least he kept good company. Maybe Cisco wouldn't be so miserable after all.

 


	3. Inventors and Healers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cisco meets an interesting character while roaming the halls of the palace, one who practically begs for Caitlin's help... or demands really.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm so glad you're all liking this so far! Here's the next installment, a little longer than the last. I'm aiming for a bit longer chapters so here you go!  
> Also, I wrote most of this on my phone at work today, so if you see little mistakes, I'm sorry in advance.  
> Thanks!

Three days passed without so much as an appearance from the king, not that it bothered Cisco too much. The longer he could put off their meeting the better in his opinion. He and Caitlin had quickly discovered the library their first night and had spent hours and hours within its walls since then, mostly only leaving for meals. He knew eventually Jesse or Barry would find them to begin wedding plans, but Cisco was glad they were giving him a little time to get settled. Besides, even if King Harrison was an absolute bore, his library was almost reason enough for marriage. Caitlin had almost fainted upon sight of how big it was and Cisco had to pinch himself to make sure it was real.

Still, his eyes were starting to burn and his back ached from the awkward position he'd been sitting in, so he'd decided to leave Caitlin to her research and take a walk.

The inside of the palace was incredibly beautiful, and though made entirely within a mountain, remained very well lit. The ceilings seemed miles high and twisting columns spread throughout halls and rooms. It was the designs however that really drew Ciscos interest. Unlike his own home or even the Queen palace he'd seen a few times, that were decorated with vases and paintings and tapestries, these walls were completely bare. Instead they had huge frames carved into the stonework in various intervals along the hallways, beautiful and extremely detailed carvings and images chiseled away until a story could be read from them if the order was followed correctly. Cisco ran his fingers over them as he walked, not quite touching for fear of them crumbling under touch, but almost wishing that they would move and play out for him.

he wasn't sure how far he walked, nor how long, but it wasn't long before he glanced up and realized he'd very much gotten himself lost. He was no doubt deeper in the mountain judging by how much colder it was, and he pulled his tunic a bit closer to fight off the chill as he looked for some sign of which direction to go.

"Goddamnit!" 

Cisco jumped at the loud exclamation in the otherwise silent hall, his heart jumping to his throat a moment later when he heard a loud crash coming from a room nearby.

The door wasn't anything special, just wood, decorated with the same golden star he'd seen on everything else, and it was hard under his knuckles when he knocked. He was met with a sharp "what!?" That had him pushing the door open just enough to slide through. And damn, if he'd thought the library made his heart skip a beat, this room practically made him swoon. It was almost straight out of a wet dream, or a Cisco wet dream anyway.

The room itself was enormous, bookshelves of all sizes lining practically every inch of the walls yet very few books actually decorated them. There were probably half a dozen long tables scattered around the room as well, every inch of surface covered in some sort of paper or scrap of metal or strange mechanical device. Cisco wanted nothing more than to run his fingers over everything, to pick things apart he didn't recognize and find out how they ticked. About two tables away stood a man Cisco didn't recognize, though he was facing away from him, leaning over one of the work tables. He had a lean back, and Cisco could almost see his muscles under the thin black tunic he wore with a pair of simple black pants. No doubt to hide the oil stains Cisco could smell from the door.

"Is uh- is everything alright?" Cisco asked hesitantly, wondering who exactly this man was. The king's inventor maybe?

"Yes, everything is absolutely perfect. Everything is supposed to be useless and broken," the man snarked.

Cisco frowned, looking down at the broken glass near his feet and the blue liquid spilling out of it. "Yup. Well that tends to happen when you throw things," he said before he could think to stop himself. The man visibly tensed, probably caught off guard with Ciscos blatant sarcasm, but the young Lord didn't dwell on it. Instead he reached a hand out slowly, letting the vibrations of his magic settle over his fingers like a familiar glove, tugging and pulling until all the blue liquid had gathered into a small ball floating two inches above his palm. "Do you have a bottle in this mess?"

"This mess- who the he'll do you think you-" the man's words cut off as he twisted on his heal to face Cisco and Cisco himself nearly dropped the magic around his hand in shock.

The inventor was... beautiful. Well, more like sexy with a touch of handsome thrown in. He was incredibly tall with a mess of brown hair on his head, an inch or two long and slicked with oil. His arms were stained brown and black from work and he had and streak of oil across one chiseled jawline that Cisco could probably cut himself on. But it was the pair of impossibly blue eyes behind square spectacles that were beautiful, the blue almost the same shade as the magic coating Cisco's fingers or the liquid suspended in the air. Damn...

"That's magic," the man said, though it wasn't really a question.

Cisco fought the urge to flinch, only too late remembering that this kingdom didn't like magic as much and he scolded himself for forgetting. Instead, he shrugged and wiggled his fingers until the orb of liquid started spinning. "Yeah, well if you don't tell the king, I won't. Now, a bottle?" The inventor seemed to jump start back into action, whipping around to grasp as a long necked glass bottle filled with a similar blue liquid. As soon as he was close enough, Cisco tilted his hand until the orb thinned into a spiral and slid easily into the glass. The man looked in awe, though he narrowed his eyes at the bottle as if trying to see if it was some trick. Cisco let his magic seep back into his bones before speaking. "So who's sick?" He waved a hand at the way the man tensed and pointed at the liquid. "My best friend is a healer, I know a health potion when I smell one. But those are supposed to be purple, not blue you know? You aren't really supposed to altar magical potions without experience. Could be bad."

"And I suppose you're the expert," the man sparked again before pausing in thought, his eyes lighting up a bit. "A healer? Is she here with you?"

Cisco raised an eyebrow at the sudden change before shrugging. "Yeah, she's probably in the libraries right now. What exactly were you trying to do?"

The other man had already sprung into action however, grabbing an oversized satchel before throwing seemingly random tools and vials and books into it. "I was attempting to turn it into a gaseous form so it might be inhaled instead of ingested," he said offhandedly, grabbing the bottle before finally turning back to Cisco as if ready for some grand adventure. After a moment of confused silence, the man raised an eyebrow and waved to the door expectantly. "Well? Take me to your healer, time is of the essence. I wasn't aware they were bringing in an outside eye."

Cisco barely had the chance to catch up as the taller man strode out of the rooms and headed towards where Cisco assumed was the libraries. Honestly he couldn't tell in these winding halls and he was still a bit thrown at this whirlwind of a meeting. And- "I don't even know your name. What do I call you?"

The man snorted, sending Cisco a frankly insultingly dubious look. "Call me Harry, everyone else does."

"Cisco," he introduced, struggling to keep up with Harry's quick pace. Harry hummed, disinterested and Cisco frowned. The man might be attractive but he wasn't very friendly. "Are you an inventor?"

"Of sorts," Harry replied with a shrug. "More of a scientist."

Cisco perked up at that and smiled. "That's awesome! I'm at inventor myself!"

Harry raised a skeptical eyebrow before his eyes landed on ciscos hand. "I've never met a scientist with such an affinity for the magical arts."

"Yeah well, most scientists don't like magic because they can't explain it," Cisco said with a shrug. "But I was born with mine, it's in my bones. I use it _with_ my science, use it to help me with my inventions. Like with your potion earlier, it's very useful with liquids." The fire only weeks ago came to mind and he cringed a bit at the memory. "Though I should probably stay away from combustibles in all honesty. I'm still getting the hang of fire based spellwork. It is _not_ my forte." Harry hummed, not giving his own input but listening intently. He may not seem very interested in the company, but Cisco got the idea that this man never turned away new knowledge, that he soaked it up like a sponge. "You never did answer me, who's sick?"

Harry frowned as they turned down another hall. "Her name is Tess," Harry said softly. "Your healer, does she work on animals as well as humans?"

"Yeah sure. She's more skilled with people, but she was our best healer back home so if the horses got sick or hurt she would be called in," Cisco said proudly, following beside the man at a quick pace. "Shes very good at what she does. She's excited to learn more about northern medicines while she's here. I don't think she's left the library longer than an hour per meal. She's probably barely slept."

Harry hummed, a spark of interest in his eye. "You are not from the north."

Cisco was starting to get the idea that Harry asked questions in statements or demands, as if he knew he was right no matter what so he didn't even bother asking, but Cisco shook his head anyway. "Nope, we're from the Queen kingdom, down south. From what I've heard our cultures are very different, but to be honest, I haven't left the library much to see it."

"And yet you were near my lab."

Another not-question. "Needed a walk, kind of got distracted by the artwork," he said, waving at the carvings on the wall. "They're beautiful. I didn't really realize I'd gone so far and by the time I refocused, I'd properly gotten myself lost."

Harry chuckled and nodded. "It's easy to do in these halls. And it seems they're always digging new rooms and tunnels, even Tess has been working on a new room, or was before she got sick."

Cisco almost asked what kind of pet Tess was if she dug around, but they reached the libraries before he could. Caitlin was still in the vast medical section where he'd left her, her brown curls piled messily atop her head and her eyes a bit red from reading so much. She glanced up when they drew closer, her eyes bright despite her evident exhaustion and her fingers clutching at a black leather tome.  "Cisco! They have entire books with nothing but Dragon Anatomy here! Did you know that dragons have small pockets of flammable liquid in their throats that ignite when they breathe hard enough and that's how they breathe fire! It's fascinating!" Cisco couldn't help but mimic his friends smile though he was drastically less excited about the dragon information. "Do you think the king would mind if I took some books back to my rooms?"

"Take as many as you like," Harry said offhandedly, an oddly cordial look in his eyes. Again Cisco got the idea that he took intelligence and knowledge extremely seriously and found interest in people who did as well. "You must be the healer," he said, bowing to her.

Caitlin blinked, not having registered the other presence until now and Cisco rolled his eyes at her. "Lady Caitlin, this is Harry the scientist. He's in need of a healer so desperately that he's taken to trying his hand at adjusting magic potions."

"You what?" Caitlin practically squealed and Cisco took a moment to revel the embarrassed cringe Harry gave. "Do you know how dangerous that is? You could have killed whoever you were trying to heal!"

"As I have been told," he said with a roll of the eyes, though he couldn't fool Cisco who saw the small pout on his face. "You'll take a look then."

Caitlin was already gathering together her things and shoving them in Cisco's arms- such a regular occurrence that he hardly argued- too distracted to notice that Harry hadn't really asked so much as punctuated, but she nodded quickly. "Of course! May I ask why the original potion wasn't satisfactory enough," she asked, following quickly beside Harry, but not before pulling one of her personal journals from Cisco's arms to write in.

"She wouldn't take it," Harry grumbled. "I've tried getting her to ingest it by mouth, even by lacing her food but she's had no appetite as of late. It's been like this for nearly a week and she's lost too much weight already." His words were clear and precise, like he'd recited them to various other healers while trying to search for a problem. "We attempted general medicine before turning to mystical means as they aren't as easy to come by this far north, but as we can't get her to take it, it's been useless. I was hoping to make it a gas so she could inhale it instead but as your friend can tell you, I've only failed in doing so."

Caitlin hummed in agreement, pursing her lips slightly. "Turning a healing potion into a gas would be incredibly difficult without prior knowledge of how the chemicals work and or the innate magickal abilities to do so. It's a complicated task to try and change it's form without changing it's capabilities." She tapped her chin as they turned down a few empty hallways that slanted upwards at an angle and Cisco got the idea that not only were they going further into the mountain, but higher up as well. "Has she been ingesting liquids at all other than the potions? Water, milk, anything like that?"

"No," Harry said surely. "And she's being a right child about everything. Grumbling over and over about her not feeling well and yet she won't let any of my healers get close enough to help."

"And you think she'll let me?" Caitlin asked with a raised brow.

Harry shrugged. "She doesn't know you. It's possible she'll let you since she won't know exactly that you're even a healer."

It was actually a good strategy. Cisco remembered many years ago when a young girl in the village had been sick but was too scared of doctors to visit them. So instead, Caitlin pretended to be a babysitter and diagnosed the girl then, slipping her medicine into her food- with the parents permission of course. 

The doors to this room were very different from the ones he'd seen so far as it was made of a hard, dimpled metal instead of the soft wood the others sported. The same star was engraved on each door, but it stood incredibly tall and was wide enough to fit an entire army through ten men wide. Cisco couldn't help but gawk at it, as did Caitlin, equally surprised. Two guards stood at attention on either side of the door but they hardly spared them a glance.

"It's not dangerous is it," Cisco asked once he had control over his voice again.

"Of course not," the man scoffed, waving a hand. "I'll be there the whole time and she trusts me. You'll be perfectly safe. The doors are simply for safety purposes. This room serves as a safe room for the village people should we ever come under attack, but it's currently the largest and most isolated room in the castle for Tess to fit in."

"F-fit in?" Cisco stuttered, sharing a wide eyed look with his best friend before both guards shoved one of the doors open. "Great Goddess-" he breathed, nearly dropping the stacks of books in his hands. Caitlin wasn't as lucky, her leather journal slipping through her fingers easily before clattering to the stone ground.

"It's... It's a dragon!"


	4. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caitlin diagnoses her first dragon. Cisco finally meets the king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> been a hot sec since I've posted for this story! Sorry! I've been working on this chapter for a while. Hope you all enjoy!  
> And thank you so much for all the comments and kudos! They really are encouraging!

"That- that is a whole dragon."

And it was. She was enormous, taking up at least half of the room even curled up like she was. Her golden scales shimmered in the torch light- though Cisco assumed they'd be even more beautiful if the dragon was in good health. Her wings were pressed tight against her body, her head- which was as long as Harry was tall- rested on her front feet. Two thick and bone like horns twisted out of her skull, though they were peeling and flaking from her sickness. There were two men dressed in white robes holding large platters of various meats, but any time one got too close, the dragon would let out a huff of steaming air, lifting her upper lip to show off her massive... massive teeth.

"Of course it's a dragon," Harry said with a roll of the eyes, leading them in and letting the doors close behind them. "What else did you expect?"

"Shes beautiful," Caitlin breathed, and if Cisco wasn't mistaken, Harry puffed his chest out a bit and smirked with pride.

"Shes enormous," Cisco replied.

Harry snorted and shrugged. "The king's dragon is always the biggest. Now, Tess darling, stop being a baby. I've brought a friend to say hello." 

Big sun gold eyes rolled over to stare at them and Cisco couldn't hold back his jump as they settled on him. He held his breath, and beside him he knew Caitlin was doing the same, though she was shuffling on her feet like she was trying to decide whether she could move forward or not. Harry held out a hand, never taking his eyes off the dragons and Caitlin gently laid hers atop his, letting him pull her forward into the room until the gentle breaths the dragon gave fluttered her hair back. He stopped an arms length away- and it wasn't lost on Cisco that Harry got closer to the beast than the feeders could- and dipped into a soft bow.

"Dragons are graceful creatures who take respect very seriously," he said quietly when he straightened back up. "Especially the mother dragons like Tess." He nodded to Caitlin who dropped into her deepest curtsy, her dress skirt pooling around her and her head dipped down into her chest. She didn't dare move, holding her breath when Tess shifted her head so her nose was facing Caitlin. She sniffed for a few moments before a gentle rumble sounded through the room and Harry almost melted with relief.

"You can stand now, she accepted you. Tess, this is Lady Caitlin from the Southern Kingdoms. She was worried when I told her you were sick and she wanted to check on you if that's alright." Another grumble, like an earthquake rolling through the room, and Harry huffed. "Stop being a child, she only wishes to help. She already yelled at me for trying to fix you without the proper... precautions."

Tess blinked, gold eye zeroing in on Caitlin before huffing in a... laugh maybe? 

"You called her a mother dragon," Caitlin said as she ran a hand across Tess scales. The dragon closed her eyes and settled her head back into her paws not unlike a content cat, and Caitlin went to her inspections. "Is that simply a title for the king's dragon or-"

"It is both," Harry interrupted. "Her cluster is meant to hatch any day now, which is why we've been so worried about her condition. She's been isolated in this room away from her eggs for too long and if they hatch before she is ready to care for them, they won't make it."

Caitlin nodded and ran her finger on a discoloured scale before making her way towards the dragon's snout. Cisco tensed, the image of Caitlin getting gobbled up flickering through his mind and making the protection runes on the inside of his wrist flare to life. He knew Cailtin would be able to feel the wards herself thanks to the matching runes he'd convinced her to get just in case, but she just sent him a knowing look and a grateful smile. "Does she have a title, or shall I simply call her Tess?"

Something akin to surprise flickered over Harry's eyes before they softened into something fond, though the rest of his face barely changed. "Only royal family members may call her Tess unless permission is given otherwise. To everyone else, she is Mother Tessora, though she will answer to just mother."

Nodding, his friend drew even closer towards the creature's mouth and knelt down to place her hand on the giant nose. A nostril as big as her entire hand flared at the new scent and a golden eye blinked open to stare at her. "Mother Tessora," Caitlin greeted with a smile, "would you be so kind to open your mouth a moment? I'd like to examine your teeth if I may?"

"Cait-"

Cisco squeaked when gold eyes slid over to him for only a moment before finding Caitlin again, as if trying to decide if she was forming some kind of plan or trick. The dragon must have come to a decision because a moment later, her lip curled up to reveal teeth as tall as long as a walking cane and  Cisco found heart thundering in his chest when Caitlin stuck her face right up near the white dental bone. She stayed there for a while, poking and prodding at each tooth before giving the dragon a soft pat on the nose. 

"Thank you Mother Tessora, rest now."

The dragon grumbled and turned her head away from them all, curling closer to the wall as if she was a cat who'd gotten too much attention.

Caitlin watched her for a few moments before Harry seemed to grow too impatient and he jutted a hand out in Tess' direction. "Well? What's wrong with her?"

Cisco would have snorted at the unamused look on Caitlin's face, cut he held it back as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Pardon me if I don't know much about your culture this far north, sir, but what do your dragons eat?"

Harry seemed surprised at the question, eyebrows tugging down and anger fizzling for a moment. "Eat? Meat of course. We have farmers on the outskirts of all major cities raising cattle, pigs, horses- anything big enough to feed fully grown dragons. None of them are nearly as large as Tess though. The second largest dragon in the kingdom is only half her size." That fond look crossed his eyes again as he stared at the dragon before it was gone. "The palace has their own store of private stockade to feed her and we have been raising new cattle as well for the clutch that is about to hatch. Jesse is eager to choose her own dragon from the group."

"May I see where you keep the animals?"

"Will you tell me what you think is wrong with her?" Harry questioned back, clearly not a patient man.

Caitlin stared at him for a few seconds before sighing and clasping her hands behind her back. "The inside of her mouth is infected and it's starting to spread through her bloodstream, thus affecting her luster and health. The infection is why you can see her horns and scales flaking." Harry tensed beside Cisco and the younger man frowned at what Cait was saying. She'd said something very similar about a horse that'd been fed bad meat a few months ago on his parent's grounds. "An infection of this sorts can cause irritability, lack of appetite, and extreme pain throughout the entire body. If it's not treated correctly and within a certain amount of time, it could be deadly."

Harry clenched his fists and crossed his arms over his chest. "Can you fix it?"

"If you'll allow me to see the animals and where they are kept? I believe I can. I need to find the source of the infection before I can craft the proper potion for it." Caitlin rubbed at the rune on her wrist and shared a slightly worried look with Cisco. "Am I right to assume the king would like his dragon healed no matter the means in which it's to be done?"

"Clarify," Harry frowned.

"She means magic," Cisco said quickly. "I'll have to help her with the healing potion and it takes a great deal of magic to heal a creature that size."

"Yes of course, I now you mean magic," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Why would you assume that would be a problem?"

Caitlin blinked at him, mouth opening and closing for a moment before she cleared her throat. "Pardon the assumption, sir, but we've often heard stories in the south about the Northern King and his hatred of magic. We- Cisco especially- were quite worried about coming all the way up here since we practice the arcane quite often. We've always been told that it's rather dangerous to practice the mystical arts this far north for fear of the consequences."

A rather undignified snort escaped the man in front of them and Harry rolled his eyes so hard towards the ceiling that Cisco feared they might fall right out of his head. "Oh for goodness sake. Just because I am a man of science does not mean I hate magic as well. I can see it's benefits, I simply posses none of it myself, nor do many of the people in my company. This far north magic is simply rare in the bloodlines." The older man ran a hand over his face and heaved a sigh. "Honestly they're giving me such a bad name out there, I'd hate to know what else they're saying about me."

Cisco and Caitlin shared a slightly bewildered and confused look at the man's words, the gears in both their heads turning and turning until- Caitlin blinked in realization, eyes flickering between Cisco and Harry like she couldn't decide if they were even real. It left Cisco fumbling for some sort of clarification before he saw Caitlin's eyes lock onto something. He followed her gaze to Harry, specifically the heavy gold chain circling his neck. Whatever hung from it was hidden under his tunic, but it was shimmering and teasing like it held all the answers. Before Cisco could even process what he was doing, he found himself reaching out and tugging the chain free.

"Excuse me-" Harry exclaimed, swatting Cisco's hand away, but it was too late.

The sigil of the Wells Kingdom hung from the older man's throat, glittering gold and shaped perfectly in a palm sized star. It was rather simple really, for a royal- no gawdy jewels or delicate carving works. It was just a golden star on a golden chain, resting in the dead center of the man's chest. Cisco briefly remembered seeing a similar design hanging from the Princess Jesse's throat, days before, though hers was drastically smaller in size.

Cisco's heart thumped in his chest and lodged somewhere around his throat. "Holy Stars, you're the king," he breathed out, eyes never leaving the necklace.

_This_ man, this annoying, rude, judgemental and yet still terribly attractive man was the  _king?_ Cisco decided he was probably dreaming, or dead... he must have gotten dehydrated on the ride up here. Or perhaps he forgot to eat again and starved to death in the libraries. There was no way this man-

"Well of course I'm the king, what did you expect?"

The snark and sass to the man's tone snapped Cisco out of his shock and he blinked at him, jaw dropping. "What did-  _you're_  the king? You made me- you- I thought- ah!" Cisco growled, throwing his hands up in the air and throwing a solid- though relatively weak- punch at the man's chest. He didn't bother lamenting on the fact that he'd just hit the king, or the fact that the guards shifted slightly in surprise. He was too angry at being... at being- "You  _tricked me!_ "

"I- excuse me? I  _tricked_ you? I told you exactly who I was from the beginning, would you- stop hitting me!"

Cisco punched him again and again. "You did not! You told me your name was Harry!"

"It is!" Harry- King Harrison Wells- argued, confusion and annoyance in his gaze.

"You made me think you were just an inventor! I didn't think you were the bloody  _king!"_  Cisco yelled, still ignoring the guards even as they drew closer and closer to him, seeming concerned about his physical abuse to the king and yet also confused that they hadn't received orders to stop it yet. "I can't believe I thought- and you just let me go along with it! You insufferable, lying, rude, terrible- liar!"

Harry brought his hands up to try and block the attacks and narrowed his eyes at Cisco, though there was still an incredulous look on his face. "Stop hitting me! And don't yell at  _me!_ I'm the king!"

"So I have come to realize," Cisco yelled back, though he did stop his physical. "Though seeing as we're going to be married soon and  _I'll_ be a king then, I feel like I reserve the right to yell at you  _whenever the hell I want,_ " he said, raising his voice towards the end just for extra emphasis.

Harry's hands fell quickly, big beautiful eyes blinking at Cisco in confusion and shock. He gaped a bit before a deep, brow setting frown settled over his features. "Married? You're the southern lord? But you said your name was Cisco-"

"And you said yours was Harry," Cisco argued, crossing his arms to stop himself from hitting the man again. "My name is Francisco of the House Ramon, but I go by Cisco. Apparently I'm your new husband."


	5. Grounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse is dealing with children...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not completely happy with this chapter. It's been a rough one to write because I have some big events and big chapters I'm working on coming up, but they can't happen without some in between stuff like this. BUT, I have kept you waiting too long and this chapter is really as good as it's going to get. Forgive me.  
> also I wrote most of it on my phone, so if there's shit ton of missing apostrophes or something, just ignore them XD

"You didn't tell me he'd arrived!"

Jesse raised a challenging eyebrow at her father, folding her hands carefully in front of her. She'd been in the middle of her meal when her father, the southern visitors, Barry and the guards had all stormed into the dining hall yelling like cats in heat. Honestly, she forgot sometimes that  _she_ was the child in this relationship. "Lord Allen," she started, sliding her eyes over to an exhausted looking Barry, "correct me if I'm wrong, but did I or did I not visit my father the night of Lord Ramon's arrival and inform him that he had guests?"

"You did, your highness," Barry replied.

"And what exactly did I say?"

Barry huffed, walking forward a bit and pulling out a chair for the Lady Caitlin, who also looked a bit shocked and exasperated. "You said, and I quote your highness, 'father, your new husband has arrived and he is absolutely adorable. You must ravish him at once.'"

A dark blush dusted across Cisco's cheeks and he sputtered, turning to stare at Harry- the  _king,_ he still wasn't over that- who stared at his daughter with wide, scandalized eyes. "And what, did my father say in return?" she continued.

" He said, 'yes of course, I'll get right to it.'"

"That is hardly fair," Harry growled, clenching his fists at his sides. "You know damn well that is a generic response! I was terribly busy-"

"And not paying attention to me," Jesse said with a smirk. "Yes, I was fully aware. Which is why I told you the next morning as well, and I had a guard invite you to lunch the next day in hopes of meeting Lord Ramon. And yet here we are, arguing like children for a reason I've not been informed of yet."

Caitlin giggled from her seat, ignoring the glare Cisco sent her. "Cisco punched the king... multiple times actually. You should really talk to your guards about how many punches he got in without them intervening."

Jesse's well kept face cracked immediately, big eyes blinking at Cisco in shock. "You- you punched him?"

"Well he was being a jerk!" the younger lord whined, jutting his hands towards the king in frustration. "Here I am thinking he's just some random hot guy working for the king, didn't say a damn word about anything by the way. He led me to this huge dragon- a  _dragon_ \- and drops that bomb? Like, who pretends they aren't king?"

"I wasn't pretending anything! If anything you were pretending not to be a lord!" Harrison argued back, hands just as active as Cisco's. "And wait- hot?"

"Well I'm not blind!"

"Oh some could beg to differ considering you didn't know I was-"

"Oh don't put that on me! I've never seen you before and-"

"You'd think you would do at least some sort of research before coming-"

"You didn't recognize me either you ass-"

"How dare you call me- I am the king!"

"That's the problem! You should have some sort of dignity-"

"ENOUGH!"

The room fell silent and Jesse took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose to calm herself. "I swear, I am raising children. Why don't we all just calm down, go to our separate ends of the castle, and start over, yeah? We'll all meet up for dinner tonight," sharp eyes fell on her father and narrowed. "And I expect  _everyone_  to be there. Barry has full permission to do whatever it takes to make sure you're there." Harrison opened his mouth to argue and she held up a finger, silencing him before he got the chance. "Ah- no. You made an agreement when you signed, dad. You two are getting married in only a matter of weeks,  which means that at some point, you're going to have to tolerate each other at least a little bit. So we'll start small. Dinner, tonight. Everyone is invited. Alright?"

The room fell silent, filled only with the challenging glares that Jesse and Caitlin sent tue two men, but it was Cisco who answered first.

"Of course, your highness."

Harrison scoffed and rolled his eyes, thrusting his arms into the air as he stormed towards the door. "Grounded! Im being sent to my rooms by my own child! Absolutely ridiculous!" His voice echoed through the halls as he left, Barry following quickly behind with the assurance that the king would be attending dinner.

Cisco pushed down the small stab of pain in his chest, a bit surprised at its presence at all. He hadn't exactly expected to like who he was marrying. Hed even told Caitlin we was nervous... But now, seeing that the king didn't like him... Well it hit a little too close to home and had him swallowing past the lump in his throat. Part of him had hoped, even past the anger and shock, that this incredibly beautiful, intelligent man could be someone Cisco loved. But as it turned out, he was just trading one loveless household for another.

A soft hand gripped his wrist and Cisco yanked his eyes away from the door, seeing Caitlin staring at him in worry and Jesse with a sad little frown on her face.

He forced a small smile and bowed to the princess. "If youll excuse me, your highness, it seems I have a dinner to prepare for. This hair doesn't primp itself." The half assed joke didnt get past Caitlin, but it did spur a surprised laugh from Jesse, to which Cisco preens before excusing himself. Caitlin followed silently behind until they reached the guest chamber hed been assigned, only then did she speak.  

"Whats wrong, Cisco?"

The young mage sighed, turning to plop down on his bed, hair spread out around him like a halo.

"You know Cait, i knew one day this would happen. I knew Id be stuck with someone because my mother needed to marry me off. Ive always known that. I guess... I guess I just hoped if itd be anyone, itd be you." There was no disgust on his best friends face, just a sad understanding. "I dont love you like that, i mean... Its just, at least id know that you cared, you know? At least i know you love me as a friend. How am I supposed to- what, spend the rest of my life? With someone like that? Someone who didnt even look at me twice?"

Caitlin took a deep breath before sitting down beside him, her cold hand resting on his arm.   "Cisco, sometimes  love takes time. Most marages are arranged, some people cant stand their husband. But you can at least try to make it work." When Cisco disnt say anything Caitlin thought. "You just need to find something in common, start there, yeah? You said he was an inventor right?"

"Yeah," the mage reluctantly grumbled, the dreamy look of the mans lab conjuring itself in his mind. "His lab was- wow Cait... It was like seeing the library all over again, but with all kinds of gadgets and stuff."

"See?" She smiled, bright teeth shining at him. "And he is interested in your magic, so maybe you can both learn from each other. Just- start small, like the princess said. Start with dinner, ask if he can show you some of his inventions, ask for a  tour of the castle or something. I just-" she bit her lip when emotion seeped into her voice and Cisco sat up in surprise, arms wrapping around her before he could think better of it. "I want you to be happy, Cisco. After Ronnie- i mean... One of us deserves that at least."   

"Oh Cait," he sighed, hugging her tighter to him. "If anything, you're the one who deserves to be happy. But enough of that!" He stood quickly, forcing a smile to his face as he grabbed her hands. "Nothing distracts us better than work, and we've a while before dinner. Lets go find you some cows and get our magic on."

\--

Hours later, Barry found Cisco and Caitlin hidden away in a room Jesse had given them as a lab space, only a few doors down from Harrison's lab. They were both bent over their own respective projects, Caitlin over the cow blood samples and Cisco over some healing potions she'd crafted up already.

"Wow, Barry gasped, watching Cisco stir one of the vials with some vibrations rather than his hand, making the mage jump slightly in surprise. "Sorry! Didn't mean to scare you! Dinner is ready and Jesse said everyone has to be there."

"Dinner already?" Cisco frowned, glancing at Caitlin in surprise. "I thought we had two more hours at least?"    She glanced down at the small metal trinket beside her, its blue glowing symbols blinking lazy at her. "We did... Two hours ago." She turned a sorry expression towards the adviser and smiled. "I am so sorry! We meant to be on time, its just- well i think I've almost managed to figure out what strain of disease this is and Cisco has been working on the cure so-"

"Calm, my lady," Barry laughed, raising a hand in her direction. "I am hardly one to lecture about being late. Besides I have been sent to retrieve you early since Jesse assumed either you or her father would cause some trouble." He chuckled at their wide eyes and shrugged. "It was her father of course. Anyway, shall i show you to the dining hall? I am sure Harry would love to hear of your progress. The nurses say Tess' eggs are to hatch before the wedding, so having her healthy for the hatching and the ceremony is essential."

Cisco choked a bit as he followed Barry, shuffling quickly to keep up. "Ceremony? The- i mean, she'll will be part of the ceremony?"

"Oh yes," Barry said excitedly. "I forget that you are not accustomed to the northern ways. I have set aside tomorrow for you and Jesse's wedding planner to discuss the wedding details, as I'm sure you have your own traditions to incorporate. But it is customary for the King's dragon to participate in the ceremony."

"How so?" Caitlin questioned, ever the scholar.

"Well, a wedding witnessed through draconic eyes is said to be a blessing upon the marriage, so she will stand with you on the Dias during the ceremony and give her permission and acceptance of the kings new husband." Barry said eagerly, excitement brimming in his eyes. "Then after the ceremony, you will be required to mount her and walk through the streets of-"

"Mount her?" Cisco squaked as they came into the dining room, his face paling and feet freezing in place.

The others in the room all turned to face him and Jesse smirked. "I see youve told him about Tess' arch through the city?"

"I-I have to  _ride_ it? I- I am no good with animals, seriously," Cisco said frightfully, following Caitlin to her seat before sitting between her and Harry, across from Jesse and Barry. "The first time I rode a horse I broke three fingers and was kicked in the ribs. I havent gotten on one since. I cant- you expect me to ride a- a dragon?"

Harrison snorted into his drink, leaning back to give a servant enough room to place his plate in front of him. "Youll be lucky if she doesn't gobble you up."

The terrified whine that escaped the lord made Jesse flinch and she sighed. "Stop scaring him. Tess has met you already and didnt eat you. She knows how important this is, plus- shes very sweet, just... Protective. You'll be fine, I promise."

An awkward, tense silence settled over them as they ate ntil Barry cleared his throat to speak. "Lady Snow has informed me that she is making progress with Tess."   

The change in conversation had the king perking up immediately, turning carefully hopeful eyes in their direction. "Yes? Please, do tell."

"Well," Caitlin said slowly, a bit overwhelmed with the sudden attention, but she wore it well. "I've managed to narrow it down to a few different infections, some of which are naturally occuring... but one of them is- well, I don't mean to cause any alarm, but one of them is a poison." The faces of each northerner hardened immediately and the protection runes on Cisco and Caitlin's wrists flared to life immediately. She hasted to continue. "I don't know for sure just yet if that's what it is! I have narrowed it down to a poison, or two other infections, but I have only had a few hours to work so I cannot be sure yet. I do not wish to imply anything just yet, but I thought you should  be aware of the possibility."

Harry's fingers clenched into fists around his silverwear and Cisco imagined fire blooming from his glare. The anger in his expression was so strong Cisco could almost taste it, could almost feel the valleys that formed between his brows, the deep frown lines carving rivers around his mouth. He was glad they were not the ones on the receiving end of that anger. "If it is sabatoge, is this poison one you can cure?"

"I believe so, with the right materials," Caitlin said, a gentle smile on her face that Cisco had seen plenty of times when she'd spoken to parents of sick children. "Cisco is working on turning the potion into a gaseous form, because even if I am able to make a cure, she most likely still won't ingest it. I'm confident in having something worked up before her eggs hatch however."

Though the king's shoulders were still tense and solid as stone, Jesse's relaxed with a puff of air and she placed a soothing hand on her father's fist. "See? She'll be alright. Now, perhaps we should move on to more neutral topics, yes? Lord Francisco, have you been up north before? Our town is actually quite beautiful in the summers-"

The conversation was easy and smooth from then until they all parted ways. Cisco and Harry even spoke a few times when their inventions or hobbies were brought up. But a worry ate away at his mind when he headed back to his rooms, digging it's way deep into his subconscious.

What would happen if Caitlin couldn't heal Tess? Would Harry blame them? Would this loveless marriage become an angry one instead?


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cisco discusses the wedding ceremony and old traditions with his best friend and a Wedding Planner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this is a long time coming. I've had like 80% of this chapter typed up for a while, but I was struggling with the ending scene.   
> So thank you guys for being so patient with me, I know I'm the worst.  
> Anyway, here it is!  
> Must angst. Such sad.

Iris West-Thawne was as intimidating as she was beautiful. Her dark skin had a hint of golden shimmer to it and her even darker hair fell in waves of curls around her face. She wore a dark blue gown that clung to all the right places, and a heavy ring rested on her finger, shining in the candle light. Cisco didn't have to like women to appreciate how attractive she was.

"Lord Francisco, Lady Caitlin," she greeted, bowing politely before gesturing towards a large table in the center of the room absolutely covered in parchment and fabric swatches and flower petals. "I'd like to get started as soon as possible. I usually have more time to prep for a wedding this large, but as you've probably gathered, the king is... extremely unhelpful in these kinds of matters, and Jesse wanted to make sure you were comfortable with everything, so very little has been planned."

There was a small frantic tone to her voice, one of impatience and annoyance, but Cisco gathered a bit from just looking at the woman and the vibrations she put off in his direction, that she thrived on the pressure that came with events like this. He and Caitlin nodded quickly before taking a seat on the other side of the desk.

"Great, so from what Barry had told me, you don't know much about Northern ceremonies, correct?"

"Ah- I don't know much about northern culture at all, unfortunately," Cisco said awkwardly, rubbing a hand behind his neck. "And it seems that what we thought we knew, isn't altogether true."

Iris nodded in understanding before pulling out a stack of parchment to take notes on. "That's alright, I'll explain everything as we go. The ceremony itself will be held in the gardens just outside of the city gates, you passed through them just before making your way up the mountain," the mage nodded as he remembered, a fond smile listing over his lips at the thought of Caitlin's ramblings about possible medical uses for the flowers. "Now, generally the day will go as follows," Iris continued. "In the morning, you will have servants come in to help you get dressed and ready. It's advised that you eat well the day before, because there won't be any time for you to eat until the feast, post ceremony."

"Oh-" Caitlin hummed, a frown creasing her lips. Her blue eyes met Cisco's and he frowned as well. "Barry had told us we could incorporate our own traditions in as well if we could, yes?"

Brown eyes lit up with interest and Iris nodded excitedly. "Of course! Please, feel free to interrupt if anything needs to be added or taken away. There are some things we won't be able to compromise on, but I can see what I can do."

Caitlin nodded, and for a long moment, Cisco was so grateful for her being here because he was very well known as a 'yes man' back home. He would have never interrupted Iris to tell her that he needed something added. "It is traditional in the south to hold two Tea Ceremonies the morning of the wedding. Basically, the parents or standing family of the betrothed would gather in their rooms for a small breakfast that the betrothed would serve to them, along with a gift."

Iris nodded, jotting down the information quickly in beautiful scrawling cursive. "The king doesn't have to do it," Cisco said quickly, knowing his family wouldn't be up here anyway. "And I am aware that Jesse is the only family he has, but it is something I would like to make time for."

"Of course," Iris answered with a gentle smile, brown eyes softening. "We'll be able to fit it in right before the blessings."

"Blessings?" Cisco wondered.

"Ah yes, so following your getting ready, and the tea ceremony that I'll fit in," Iris continued, glancing down at her itinerary, "the husband and wife- or husband and husband in this case- are taken to their respective temples to pray and ask for blessings from the gods upon their marriage. Now, Harry isn't overly religious," she said with a roll of the eyes, "but it's tradition and he has his gods to pray to, even if he doesn't do it as often as he should. Now, I am aware that the southern gods are a bit different than ours," she said carefully, lips pulling down slightly. "We do have a larger temple in the center of town where all followers gather to pray if you'd like to use that instead?"

Cisco thought back to the small altar he'd kept in his rooms at home and fiddled with his tunic. "Is this something that must be done publicly?"

"Oh no," Iris said quickly, waving her hand. "The temples are cleared out for the hour that you are there, though the mothers are kept nearby in case either of you wish to confide in them."

Cisco hummed and thought about what she'd mentioned of the gardens. "Would it be possible for me to set up my own space in a garden of some sorts instead? I usually do prayer in my own rooms, but for bigger occasions, we do our rituals under the sky for the gods to see."

The last time Cisco had done any sort of big ritual had been a mourning ritual for Ronnie, but if he was required to do something like this again, he'd like it done according to his own traditions. "I think that can be arranged," Iris said, a cunning and sly smile sliding onto her face as she made another note. "I'll have someone show you the gardens we keep in the higher levels of the palace to see if they'll work. Now, after that, you'll be given a carriage ride down through the city to the Dias where the ceremony is held. We'll do a quick run through of the full ceremony a little closer to the big day, so don't worry yourself about the little details of that just yet. After that, the two of you will mount Mother Tessora for her arch through the city."

"Now-" Cisco interrupted, swallowing around the panic in his throat. "When you say arch-"

"She won't fly with you," Iris calmed him, her laugh filling the room. "It's simply what it's called. She walks through the main street where the people can see you both, give their blessings and gifts, and send their prayers to you. She'll walk you all the way up to the palace where we'll hold the feast. After the feast, Tess will accompany you to Harry's rooms for the bedding-"

"She- she's going to watch?!"

Iris laughed again and shook her head. "She won't be in the room with you, my lord, but she will be right outside to make sure you are not interrupted until morning."

"Like an oversized guard dog," Cisco mumbled mostly to himself, trying to ignore the nervous feeling in his stomach at the very mention of the bedding.

"Precisely," Iris chimed with a smile. "Now, we don't necessarily have traditions surrounding attire for the ceremony. Harry will be wearing his formal uniforms, so I wanted to speak to you about what you'll be wearing. I've done a little bit of research into Southern traditions, and I think I read that you would be using your father's ceremonial robes?"

Had he not been used to it by now, Cisco might have been caught off guard by the sharp tug of pain in his chest at the mentioning of his family. Instead he shook his head. "Traditionally the child who is married first will be the one to wear the father's robes, however seeing as my brother and I will be marrying within the same month and Dante is eldest, he'll be receiving them, not me."

There was a sad tint to Iris' smile after that and she nodded, making some more notes on her parchment. "That's alright. I'll schedule you a tailoring session and have Lisa rush it. She'll get you in something fabulous. Now," she mumbled, fumbling through her papers for what she was looking for. "I will need a rough count of how many people will be attending from your side. We will set aside rooms for them and I will make sure they are placed correctly in the feast hall-"

"Oh, that's not necessary," Cisco interrupted quickly, face burning red a bit when the wedding planner looked up at him. "Ah- I mean, you'll just need to set aside one spot. Well... two I guess. Caitlin will be here, and then my family will be sending an emissary to confirm the wedding is legitimate. They'll be too busy planning Dante's wedding to attend," he told her.

"Oh," Iris blinked and Cisco wished he couldn't  _feel_ the pity rolling off her in waves. He was glad when she waved the discussion away and continued. "Very well, are there any other traditions you wish to incorporate?"

Cisco went to shake his head before brushing his fingers over one of the runes tattooed onto his finger. "No, I believe that covers it-"

"Cisco-" Caitlin frowned, a confused frown marring her pretty lips. He could see the surprise in her eyes, but he just smiled at Iris, easily brushing his friend's concern away.

The Lover's Braid wasn't something he imagined Har- King Wells- would be interested in anyway. Even if it was something he'd been looking forward to since childhood.  He could see the curiosity in Iris' gaze, knew that she knew he was holding something back, but he spoke again before she got the chance to ask. "That is definitely all for our side. Now, if you'll excuse us, Caitlin said she wanted to check on Mother Tessora before dinner-"

"We have plenty of ti-"

"Sorry, the King's dragon waits for no one," Cisco interrupted the planner, pulling his best friend to her feet and into a nervous bow. They were out the door before Iris could even argue, Cisco speeding down the halls as fast as he could. He was no match for Caitlin however as she snatched his arm in her hand, tugging him into the closest empty room she could find. "Cait!"

"What the hell was that?" the brunette demanded, the tips of her loose hair frosting white with her anger as she shoved him against the wall. "Cisco, we agreed!"

"We were children!" He argued back, reeling away from the frost decorating the ground around her feet. "Cait- it's really not that big of a deal-"

"Not that-" he knew he was in big trouble the moment she started pacing, her fingers tearing through her hair and upsetting it's curls. "It  _is_  a big deal, you idiot! You've been looking forward to the Braid since we were kids. We made a promise that we'd both get one when we got married! It's tradition and it's  _important_ -"

"To us," he interrupted with a frown. "It's not important to my family, or the southern kingdom. Cait, it's strictly a mage thing and even then not everyone gets one. Look, I just- I don't think it's a big deal. Besides, the king would never agree to it-"

Caitlin threw her arms in the air with a scoff, a chill spreading through the room. "He  _would_  if he knew how important it was to you!"

"Exactly," Cisco snapped, his own magic vibrating over his skin in response to hers. He could see the blue hue echoing off her ice as he glared. "It  _is_  important to me to get the Braid with someone I  _love_ , Caitlin." His voice was loud and echoed back at him desperately, and Caitlin paused in her pacing, her mouth dropping open in surprise. But Cisco didn't stop, he kept going despite the sharp sting in his eyes. "I never figured I'd get married to anyone important, and if I did, then it'd be  _you_. Gods, Caitlin. I'd get the Braid with you in a heartbeat. I love you, even if it isn't how you loved Ronnie. I love you like a sister, and you're important to me, the most important. That man out there?" He gestured wildly at the door with one hand. "He doesn't even  _look_  at me, Caity. I was ready to marry someone I didn't love. I was ready to get to know them, to learn about them and get to a point where we were friends. But I'll be honest with you Caitlin, I one hundred percent expected my mother to get fed up with waiting and marry me to you.  _That's_  why I never said anything about the Braid. That's why I didn't mention it to Iris. Because I don't want to be tied to a man that doesn't even  _like_  me."

"Cisco- you don't know-"

"I do," he breathed, the fight draining out of him as fast as it'd arrived. "He's only ever spoken to me at dinner and we've been here nearly a week. He hasn't made any effort, and granted, I haven't either but- I don't know... it's hard when he's-" Cisco's cheeks lit up and he fumbled with the edge of his tunic, gesturing at himself. "And I'm this. Gods, this man's been married before, Cait. He has a daughter who's probably the hottest thing in the kingdom if you liked girls,  _and_  she's almost my age! How am I supposed to live up to all that, huh? He's marrying me for convenience, just like I'm marrying him for his name. This isn't anything special. It's just-it just  _is._  Okay? I don't- I don't want to force him into something that meaningful when he doesn't mean it."

The mage didn't wait for her to answer, instead turning on his heel to rush out of the room.

What he said was true. He'd been used to not being the first choice at home. It's always how it was. Girls would hang out with him to get close to his brother. His parents favored Dante over Cisco in nearly everything. Cisco had been born with such powerful magick, powers that elder mages were in awe at, and yet the second Dante sat down at a piano, his abilities were all but forgotten. Cisco was used to being second place, used to being last choice.

It didn't hurt that much anymore.

Or... he wished it didn't.


End file.
